GE has increased the workshop area at its Onne facility in Nigeria’s Rivers State by 40 per cent as well as begun manufacturing subsea wellheads there
The expansion has also led to an increase in the number of permanent staff at the facility, the company has announced.
Lazarus Angbazo, president of GE Nigeria, said that the Onne facility will now fabricate wellhead systems used for both onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling, and the Nigerian engineers have been trained to operate the facility.
This new development is in sync with the government’s local content law and the achieving push for skill acquisition, technology transfer and capacity creation.
According to Dr. Uzo Nwagwu, CEO of GE Oil & Gas for West Africa, this move was not made only to comply with the law. “It’s about localising our people, localising our capabilities; localising our suppliers and localizing the training and the human capital. This is the only thing that makes sustainable business sense to support our huge investments in the country.”
Referring to the production of subsea wellheads in Onne, Dr. Angbazo called it a “true win-win proposition for the indigenous industry and the Nigerian Content agenda”. The local fabrication of subsea wellheads will allow Nigeria-based operators to buy locally and also avoid delays and costs associated with delivery.
Operating since 2002, the Onne facility also houses a dedicated training centre. Most engineers and technicians involved in the new fabrication process are Nigerians, some of who have been trained locally and some others in Brazil.
